Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Opened: May 24, 2001
Location: In the middle of Adventureland in front of Sunshine Tree Terrace and across from Jungle Cruise
Extra Magic Hours: Evening
FASTPASS: No
Type: Carousel
Similar To: Dumbo the Flying Elephant, TriceraTop Spin
Requirements: None
Scary Factor: Low. As you can see, it goes up in the air and spins, but the ride itself is gentle and without many thrills.
What to Expect: The Magic Carpets of Aladdin is an attraction in the same vein as TriceraTop Spin and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Riders board magic carpet themed vehicles attached to the middle hub. The hub spins and the vehicles in turn spin slowly along with it. Riders in front can move the carpet up or down and riders in the back control whether or not the carpet is slightly tilted forward or backward. One fun addition is the camel that spits water. Riders can try to position their carpet to hit or miss the water stream. The water stream is relatively weak, so don’t expect to get too wet even with multiple direct hits. In your author’s opinion, the Magic Carpets are deceptively fun. It’s very cool flying high over Adventureland.
Where to Sit: It isn’t particularly important, but the seats in front have a better view and you have more control over the carpet.
When To Go: If you’re skipping the roller coasters and Splash Mountain then you’ll want to make your way here after completing the child-friendly Fantasyland rides in the morning. Otherwise, save this for after dinner, during a parade/fireworks, or during evening Extra Magic Hours. Avoid between 11:30am – 5pm if possible.
Expect to Wait: This is an extremely slow loading ride, much like Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Storybook Circus. Because of its prominence and the popularity of the characters involved, afternoon waits in the 15 to 20 minute range are common and waits may hit 30+ minutes when the overall crowd level is an eight or above or Magic Kingdom isn’t recommended.
Length: 90 seconds
Rating: 5/10
Commentary: This will be an entertaining ride for the younger set, but it’s an easy skip for adults unless there’s virtually no line. I like to ride because the views of Adventureland are so great, but it probably isn’t worth waiting more than 10 minutes for. If Magic Kingdom is open past 10pm, wait times after 10pm will be short because so many families will have left earlier. Try to ride before 10:30am or after 9pm and the entire experience shouldn’t take more than ten minutes. If you can swing that, I’d ride, even if you’re not expecting much based on what it looks like on the ground.